Eyes Like Yours
by Jediempress
Summary: Maybe the Organization was going about this all wrong.  His eyes could not lie.  Two people searching for the same thing leads to one's revelation of the heart.
1. Riku

This idea was generously given to me by Riku-Rocks and I truly hope I did it justice.

Eyes Like Yours

_Riku_

He was not entirely sure why he had taken to spending so much of his time wandering the rooftops. Even during those times he was certain there was no one else on the streets of The World that Never Was; he could be found, more often than not, walking among the vents and condensers that made up the tops of the dark buildings that lined the main thoroughfare. Perhaps it had something to do with the utter solitude he could find.

"I found you again."

Riku sighed. Except for _him_… Somehow, this one always found him and what was really beginning to trouble him was that Riku began waiting for the Nobody to appear. "Nothing new there."

"I guess not." The other snickered and moved to lean against the high ledge. "You know, I keep half-expecting to find you standing on one for these ledges, ready to jump."

"I'm not suicidal, Axel."

"I know. You're too busy being emo to be that."

Riku snorted. "I'm not emo."

Axel waited a minute before turning and sitting down, his back against the low barrier. "Naw, I suppose you're not."

Riku looked down at the street below. "Have you seen him today?"

"If I had, I wouldn't be here." The redhead laughed. "Then again, maybe I would."

The sixteen year old had no idea what the Nobody meant by that. Then again, Axel had the habit of confusing him. He was starting to think he was a bit schizophrenic.

"Have you?" Axel suddenly asked in a serious tone.

"I would have told you if I had."

"Why?"

"What do you mean _why_?" Riku hopped off his perch, turning to lean against it instead.

"Why would you tell me if you found Roxas? If I found out where he was, you know I would try to take him. Why risk it?"

"Because I know he's your best friend." Riku flicked some of his silver-hair back. "I know what it's like to worry; to not know where your friend is or what's happening to him."

Axel pursed his thin lips. He leaned his head against the wall. "You know we can't both have what we want."

"I don't quite agree with that." Riku crossed his arms. "Roxas is part of Sora. Maybe he'll no longer exist as a separate entity but he won't die. I don't even think he'll completely disappear. Something tells me that Sora wouldn't allow that."

"It still wouldn't be Roxas."

"No." Riku slowly agreed. "But Sora won't be Sora without him. They are necessary to each other. One cannot exist without the other."

Axel blew out a breath. "So why is Sora more important than Roxas? Why can't Roxas be the one to stay?"

"I'm sorry for that."

He knew Axel was staring at him. He doubted the Nobody understood what he was trying to say. He truly did feel bad about Roxas' impending fate. If there was a way to save Roxas, he was more than willing to try it. However, he knew there was no such thing.

"It isn't fair that Roxas can't truly be his own person. ...And it isn't fair that Sora became fragmented. And it isn't fair that we have to be the ones to make these decisions and take these actions." The blindfolded teen angled his head up. "But I truly believe that ultimately, all of us will be where we need to be."

He still did not understand where his conviction came from, but he felt it in the deepest recesses of his heart. Somewhere, somehow, all of this would be over and everyone could simply be free and. with a little luck, happy.

"You really believe all that?" Axel asked quietly.

Riku shrugged. "Does it really matter to you if I do?"

There a full minute of silence before Riku heard the rustle of Axel's coat as he stood. He felt the Nobody step closer to him and he tensed a bit. He waited before reacting, sensing no aggression from Axel. However, there was something different about the guy…

"Why do you wear the blindfold?"

Riku frowned. "Why do you want to know?"

Axel chuckled a bit. There was a nervous quality to it. "Just curious…"

"I just do."

"That's a lame answer, Riku." The amusement faded. "Take it off."

"No."

"Why not?" Axel had a smirk in his voice. "I just want to see your eyes."

Why in the worlds would Axel want to see his eyes? He doubted the Nobody would find anything of remote interest about them, and it did not seem likely he would be able to read anything within them.

"Please, let me see them?"

"Why?"

"Don't know."

Having no idea why, Riku found himself reaching up and taking hold of the black strip of cloth. He shut his eyes and pulled the cloth away. Then he cautiously fluttered them open. While it was dark out, it was still brighter than the absolute black to which he had grown accustom.

Once he felt his eyes had properly adjusted, he faced Axel. He was struck by how intense those emerald eyes were and it was not just the color. The redhead was actively searching for something within Riku's gaze.

The silvered teen forced himself not to look away; he was uncomfortable with the Nobody's scrutiny. It felt like Axel was trying to see into his very soul. The only thing that kept his eyes on the other was his curiosity. Would Axel be able to recognize any of the emotion he saw?

Abruptly, Axel stopped searching and his breath hitched. He stepped back a single step, still looking into Riku's eyes. Something within Axel's own gaze changed and Riku knew that not only did the Nobody see the emotions; he understood the depth of them.

He replaced the blindfold, quickly re-acclimating to the pitch black. He had felt oddly naked without it. He waited a moment and after deciding that Axel was not going to say anything further, he left the roof.

He felt the redhead's green eyes on him even after he was out of sight.


	2. Axel

_Axel_

Axel climbed the stairs at a casual pace. There was no reason to hurry; the kid was not going anywhere. It was almost a guarantee that he would find the silver-haired teen standing a top one of the tall buildings that lined the street. It was just a matter of figuring out which one.

On a strange hunch, he picked one at random and headed for the roof. The door leading outside was propped open and the Nobody grinned to himself. He was getting good at this. He stepped out quietly, immediately spotting the one he had been seeking standing on the ledge.

"I found you again."

He boy sighed. "Nothing new there."

"I guess not." He snickered. He strolled over and leaned on the ledge the other was currently residing on. "You know, I keep half-expecting to find you on one of these ledges ready to jump."

"I'm not suicidal, Axel."

"I know. You're too busy being emo to be that."

Riku snorted. "I'm not emo."

Axel actually believed that. For some reason, he took Riku's desire to be close to the always-dark sky as a sign of how much the teen loved life. The redhead turned and sat against the barrier. "Naw, I suppose you're not."

"Have you seen him today?"

"If I had, I wouldn't be here." The Nobody laughed. "Then again, maybe I would."

He knew he was confusing the teen. Finding his wayward friend was first priority on these trips. Once he did that, he would take Roxas back and no longer have any reason to wander the near empty city. That bothered him some. He had come to kind of like talking to Riku.

He suddenly glanced up. "Have you?"

"I would have told you if I had." Riku's voice was sincere.

"Why?"

"What do you mean _why_?" The teen hopped off his perch, turning to lean against it instead.

"Why would you tell me if you found Roxas?" Axel was genuinely curious. "If I found out where he was, you know I would try to take him. Why risk it?"

"Because I know he's your best friend." Riku flicked some of his silver hair back. "I know what it's like to worry; to not know where your friend is or what's happening to him."

Axel pursed his thin lips. He reckoned of all people, Riku would understand that. Considering what the Nobody knew of the state of Riku and Sora's relationship when they parted ways, it seemed very likely the boy knew exactly what was troubling him. He leaned his head against the wall. "You know we can't both have what we want."

"I don't quite agree with that." Riku crossed his arms. "Roxas is part of Sora. Maybe he'll no longer exist as a separate entity but he won't die. I don't even think he'll completely disappear. Something tells me that Sora won't allow that."

Axel thought it over a moment. He supposed that was true, as long as one remained the other would. It was that whole, two halves of a whole, thing Namine had always been pushing. But regardless… "It still wouldn't be Roxas."

"No." Riku slowly agreed. "But Sora won't be Sora without him. They are necessary to each other. One cannot exist without the other."

Axel blew out a breath. This was not fair. He did not care which had come first. "So why is Sora more important than Roxas? Why can't Roxas be the one to stay?"

"I'm sorry for that."

The redhead turned to stare at him. He could not mean that. Riku was not sorry that Roxas had to go so as long as he got Sora back. Why would he care about the fate of a born incomplete being?

"It isn't fair that Roxas can't truly be his own person. …And it isn't fair that Sora became fragmented. And it isn't fair that we have to be the ones to make these decisions and take these actions." Riku angled his head up. "But I truly believe that ultimately, all of us will be where we need to be."

While the blindfolded teen's expression and tone did not change, Axel knew he was being serious. In disbelief, he quietly asked. "You really believe all that?"

Riku shrugged. "Does it really matter to you if I do?"

Axel considered the other for a long moment. For reasons he did not comprehend, it seemed to matter a great deal why Riku believed what he did. He found himself desperately wanting to understand just what drove the teenager to think these things. He _needed_ to know.

A stray memory came to him, something he had heard Zexion say about Riku back in Castle Oblivion… Something about the eyes being the windows to the soul. The Cloaked Schemer had often referred to Riku's eyes.

Axel climbed to his feet and stepped closer to the silvered teen. He noticed Riku tense up but otherwise did not move. "Why do you wear the blindfold?"

Riku frowned. "Why do you want to know?"

Axel chuckled a bit. He knew he was going out on a limb here. "Just curious…"

"I just do."

"That's a lame answer, Riku." The generic answer made him all the more determined. "Take it off."

"No;" Was the curt reply.

"Why not?" Was the kid really that afraid to reveal himself? ...Or maybe those weird yellowed eyes rumors were true. "I just want to see your eyes."

When Riku did not speak, Axel found himself wanting to beg the boy. This driving desire to _understand_ was taking over him. "Please, let me see them?"

Riku's tone was clearly confused. "Why?"

"Don't know." It was as honest an answer as he could give.

He really did not think Riku was going to do it but slowly, the teen reached up and took hold of the strip of black cloth around his head. Clearly reluctant, he pulled it off, eyes closed tightly. They cautiously fluttered for a moment, as if trying to adjust to actual sight.

The moment those aqua depths set upon him, Axel was literally drinking them in. While the color itself was absolutely gorgeous, it was the pure emotion within them that threatened to take his breath away. The stories were right; the eyes truly were the windows to the soul.

It was no wonder why Riku felt it necessary to hide his. Everything was reflected in those iridescent pools. All of the fear, the worry, the insecurity and pain shone within them but above all that the faith, the hope, the trust, and care. Overshadowing every one of them was determination.

…And somehow, he understood it all.

Axel's breath hitched and he had to stop searching for fear of being overwhelmed. He took a step back, keeping his gaze caught with Riku's emotion filled one. If what he was feeling now was real, the Organization was so completely wrong it was almost criminal.

Without a heart, he should not be able to comprehend what he saw in Riku let alone understand it. Something within him was reacting. It was as if some part of him was so moved, that it had frozen.

Like his heart had skipped a beat.

...But he did not have a heart.

Riku carefully replaced the blindfold, keeping his face toward Axel. The Nobody was oddly saddened by this action. Maybe if the others could see what he had in those eyes, they would realize that just maybe they were going about this all wrong.

The boy waited a moment, and then stepped away. As he left the roof, Axel was unable to make himself look away.


End file.
